In Search of ....

CENTRAL'S STORY

Central Church officially began in November of 1992 when a group of about one dozen people gathered to meet on Sundays in the Board Room of North Island College. In the absence of a pastor, Superintendent Austin Stauffer assumed leadership of this fledgling group. As numbers grew, they considered calling a resident pastor. On April 2, 1994, Dave Koleba arrived from Alberta to take the reins of approximately two dozen intrepid parishioners. Dave has remained as Central's pastor to the present time.

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Initially the congregation grew rapidly, topping out at an average attendance of around 175 people in 2008. Following that time, difficulty with attracting younger families caused a slow but steady slide in attendance.

 

In 2005, a four acre piece of property in Courtenay was purchased and paid for. However, building cost were too high to build our proposed church structure at that time. So, in 2018, the congregation additionally purchased a building that facilitated the seating of about 120 people, after remodeling.  This permitted the congregation to keep on meeting during the Covid pandemic, when most public buildings were closed. Attendance now sits at an average of 60 people.

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ROLE OF THE PASTOR

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The biggest challenge faced by Central Church at the present time, is to bridge our age gap and develop a more family friendly congregation. For that reason, the successful candidate will need to demonstrate the ability to work comfortably with older congregants, while at the same time attracting younger families. Our preference is that this be done gradually, without abrupt, major changes that would quickly alienate specific age groups. We realize this is a complex and challenging task so that not all candidates will feel comfortable with this role.

Central Church employs a secretary only part time. That leaves the pastor responsible for keeping the church doors open during office hours the rest of the week, except, of course when he is on visitation or involved in church activities off campus. Though it is true that a pastor needs to prioritize the health of his home and family, it is also a truism that many church activities occur after work hours. Therefore, sometimes, the pastor will work more than a strict 40 hour week. The successful candidate will be an individual who can balance these conundrums without causing undue risk to either his home or church.

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Strictly speaking, Central is hiring a pastor and not his wife. Nevertheless, the pastor's wife inevitably carries a leadership role by virtue of her relationship to her husband. We consider the role of pastor to be more of a calling than a professional job and therefore the visibility and participation of his wife is a significant extension of his ministry, especially among the ladies of our congregation. We would graciously appreciate her involvement in the church's ministries as her gifting and time allow.

|As we describe the expectations of our future shepherd and leader, we realize that fulfilling them is probably not possible unless he maintains an authentic, vibrant, relationship with the Lord. Our elders will be part of his supporting team, serving as accountability partners and encouragers, but ultimately we are looking for a mature, self-starter who assumes the larger portion of responsibility for his own spiritual walk with Jesus. We also trust that his heart will desire to see this same growth develop in the lives of his flock. We do not expect the pastor to do all this by himself. As a congregation, we pledge to encourage and pray for him and his family, and to regard working together with him as a privilege and not just a responsibility.

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QUALIFIATIONS AND SKILLS

* in full agreement with the Statement of Faith and Distinctives of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada.

*ordained or willing to pursue ordination in the EFCC

*willingness to adhere to Central Church's Constitution and Bylaws

*possesses a Bachelor of Biblical Studies (or equivalent) or a Master of Divinity from a Bible-centered evangelical seminary

*more than 5 years experience as Lead/Solo pastor or Associate in an evangelical church

*displays the spiritual qualifications of an Elder as found in 1Timothy 3, Titus 1 and Acts 20

*has demonstrated good working relationships in solo or multi-staff relationships

*takes administrative responsibility in coordination with church staff and with the Board of Elders

*oversees the activities of our future Associate Pastor, Youth Pastor, etc. as these become viable in the future

*an ability to prepare and deliver biblically faithful and culturally relevant sermons from God's word

*can organize and oversee regular Sunday worship services as well as Bible studies, prayer services, etc.

*can equip God's people in accordance with Ephesians 2:10 and 4:12-13 so they do good works which God has prepared for them to do

*able to equip and empower key lay leaders in their roles, offering direction, support and inspiration

*can carry out a strategy that facilitates strong spiritual formation in the lives of Central's people

*Connects with the congregation through visitation, prayer, counseling and encouragement

*fosters an atmosphere of family, unity and common purpose.

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